PA Economy

A review of statements by representatives of shale drilling firms and their allies makes the motivation for this exaggeration clear — to preclude, or at least to minimize, taxation, regulation, and even careful examination of shale drilling.

Income gaps widened in Pennsylvania between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s with earnings for low-income families dropping as the income of the wealthiest continued to increase, according to a new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute.

New Census data show that poverty rates remained high in Pennsylvania last year. The state's uninsured rate showed little change from 2010 to 2011, although Pennsylvania continues to have a lower uninsured rate than the nation as a whole.

New Census data offer a mix of good and bad news. The share of Americans without health insurance declined, but the middle class continues to struggle in the wake of the recession and the acceleration of income inequality.

Governor Tom Corbett’s administration has proposed giving $1.65 billion in state tax credits over 25 years to companies that build and operate an ethylene cracker plant in Pennsylvania. It would be a windfall for Shell Oil, which is evaluating a site for a cracker plant in Beaver County.